Barrie Police Service launches key holder registry for local businesses

The Barrie Police Service has launched a key holder registry for local businesses in Barrie.

The registry provides police with the contact information of those who have access to a person’s business and can assist officers in gaining access to the property when required.

According to the Barrie police, key holders might be contacted when an alarm is activated or is malfunctioning, when a door is left open or when there’s damage to the property.

“The police have a responsibility to act on various emergency events that could potentially take place at local businesses,” Barrie Police Community Services Const. Kristopher Nicholson, who is spearheading the program, said in a statement.

“If we can’t contact a key holder, property owners could potentially incur costs from forced entry if police aren’t able to access the building.”

There is no cost for businesses to join the registry, and contacts can include key holders who are able to access the building, maintenance workers and other after-hours personnel.

“Keeping the information updated if your employees change is also important,” Nicholson continued. “If a key holder doesn’t work for you anymore, they probably don’t want to get that 2 a.m. phone call from the police asking if they can attend with a key.”

Key holder information can be submitted through the Barrie Police Service’s online forum.

According to police, information is only released to authorized personnel for the specific purpose of contacting a business owner’s nominated employees.

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